CHICAGO — The intersection of Howard and Paulina was probably the most violent intersection on the city’s North Side last year. And, if this weekend is any indication, it may be making an encore performance in 2025.
A drive-by gunman shot three men who were hanging out on the corner around 5:20 p.m. Saturday. Given that the shooter was only a couple of feet away and there were many more people present, it’s remarkable that everyone survived and there weren’t more victims. A nearby surveillance camera recorded it all.
The footage shows a group of men loitering on the corner, some standing in the street, others on the sidewalk in front of a currency exchange. Nearby, a man squats in the parking lane, bending over to do push-ups on the curb.
Altogether, at least 11 people are standing in the line of fire as a gray sedan rolls west on Howard Street and turns north onto Paulina. As the car rounds the bend, someone begins shooting from inside the vehicle. Most of the people start running for cover. Yet, a pedestrian crossing Paulina in front of the gunman’s car seems unfazed. They keep walking at a casual pace as if nothing’s happening.
Take a look, if you’d like.
CPD said three men were injured: a 42-year-old shot in the arm and hip, a 30-year-old shot in the hip and grazed on the hand, and a 35-year-old shot in the hand and chest. The first two victims were in good condition, but the third was critical, according to police.
Last year, five people were shot on the 1600 block of West Howard. Two more were shot on Paulina, one just north of Howard and the other just south of the intersection. Three of last year’s victims died.
In 2023, there were 13 people shot in the 1600 block of West Howard, one fatally. Considering there were 31 shootings in Rogers Park that year, the block clearly “outperformed” its peers.
Local business owners and residents blamed an open-air drug market for the shootings, all occurring within a block of the bustling Howard CTA station. Police mopped up the area, making several arrests for gun possession and some of the shootings, and, until Saturday, the intersection hadn’t had a shooting since October 23.
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